Olympics squad coach wants team to be consistent

Malaysian Under-23 coach Ong Kim Swee wants his players to be consistent in their training-cum-playing stint in Slovakia.

Kim Swee’s boys beat MFK Dolny Kubin 2-0 on Tuesday to bounce back from their first defeat in the playing stint to Hungarian Division One outfit Honved Budapest 1-4 in Budapest on Aug 9.

Winger Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor was on target in the ninth minute from a freekick to take his goal tally in the tour to three. Striker Ahmad Hazwan Bakri scored in the 37th minute to notch his second goal in Slovakia.

“It was a good disciplined display from the players but we need to maintain our consistency with two more matches remaining,” said Kim Swee in a telephone interview from Vion, Slovakia.

“The team struggled in the first half to adapt to the tempo of the match but the first goal gave confidence to the players and they played much better after that.

“We were under pressure in the second half as our opponents pressed forward but the defence rose to the occasion and managed to finish the match with a clean-sheet.”

Kim Swee also praised the midfield combination of K. Gurusamy and Abdul Shukur Jusoh.

The team was without Guru’s usual midfield partner Gary Steven Robbat who picked up a groin injury in the match against Topvar Topolcany on July 30.

“Guru and Shukur combined well in midfield. Their understanding and movement played a big role in the win,” said Kim Swee.

Earlier, the Under-23 team beat three club sides Bodva Moldava (1-0), MFK Topvar Topolcany (2-1) and Liptovsky Mikulas (2-1) before the loss to Honved. The team will play two more friendlies against Slovakian club sides FC Nitra (Aug 23) and FC Levice (Aug 26).

The Slovakia stint is being used to prepare Kim Swee’s boys for the final round of the Asian Zone Olympic qualifiers next month.

Malaysia will start their qualifying campaign against Japan on Sept 21 followed by two home matches against Syria (Nov 23) and Bahrain (Nov 27).